Resident Evil 4: Sucked In
by Kumiko Yoshikuni
Summary: Typical story; girl plays game, girl gets sucked into game, meets characters. Now, she just needs to stick with Leon and help him save Ashley while trying to find a way back to her own world. Easier said than done. -Drama/Adventure with Humor thrown in-
1. Welcome to Pueblo

**Resident Evil 4: Sucked In**

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**Full Synopsis**: After beating the game Resident Evil 4, I wanted to play it over for the heck of it. Only, I didn't know that I would trigger some sort of voodoo reaction and end up _in the game. _Now, knowing what to expect, I decide to help Leon find and save Ashley, all the while trying to stay alive myself in time to find my way out. Easier said than done, let me tell you…

**Genre**: **Drama/Adventure** with a healthy dose of **Humor** thrown in for good measure…

**Rating**: M (for course language, graphic violence, sexual content and ugly ass monsters)

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**-Chapter One-**

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You know how you buy a game for the purpose to sit back, relax and enjoy? Well, that was my main reasoning for buying _Resident Evil 4. _

Or, should I say, re-buying it. I bought it a few years back when it first came out for the PS2, and eventually lost it after beating it. Now that I was in college (and had nothing better to do than find ways to avoid homework and real life responsibility), I was eager to get back to some serious gaming.

Fortunately, my wonderful roommate brought her newer version of the PS2, and I was so floored that someone still had that system, I went out and splurged on PS2 games. (I'm not an X-box chick _at all. _Well, 'cept maybe Mass Effect 2, but _that's _another story, so…)

Ahem.

Anyway, things were normal for awhile after getting the game. I remember explaining to my roommate the objective of the game, and then joking around with her about how Leon was so gorgeous he should be illegal. It was when I had Leon just outside the village at the start of the game that the super-weird-freaky-shit; or SWFS for short, started.

(Remember SWFS because that's going to be happening quite a lot later…)

It was right when I had Leon at the tree overlooking the village, looking though his binoculars as the villagers roasted some old dude on a large spike, that I suddenly felt dizzy. I was sitting on the edge of my bed, playing, and I dropped the controller as another wave of dizziness passed over me.

This time, the wave was accompanied by a bout of nausea.

"What the hell… ?" I mumbled to myself, holding my hand up to my head. I glanced back at the TV screen. "Sorry Leon… you're going to have to wait for a bit…"

What? So I talk to game characters. Don't act like you don't.

Back to my story.

I stumbled into the small bathroom of my dorm room, and knelt down in front of the toilet in case I was going to blow chunks. I gripped the porcelain seat, and squeezed my eyes shut.

A faint throbbing suddenly began to pulse in the back of my head, and I had to admit I was becoming seriously freaked out at how fast all of this SWFS was going down.

_"You desire to play the game… you must suffer the consequences…" _A weird voice with a terrible impression of a Spanish accent sounded in my ear, as if the speaker was right next to me. I jolted up, startled.

Looking around, I saw I was alone. My roommate had long since left to go get something to eat, so it was just me in the room. I shivered, even though it wasn't really cold.

"What. The. _Fuck?" _I muttered to myself.

_"Into the game you shall go, and the fate of all rests on you. If you want to return, you must complete your purpose… Be careful you do not succumb to the darkness, or all will fail…" _

My purpose? What purpose? And what the hell is this ominous voice talking about, something to do with darkness?

I really needed to lay off the alcohol.

Oh, wait. I don't drink.

Damn.

There goes my excuse.

A severe, sharp pain raced through my skull, cutting off all thoughts and causing me to cry out. I felt myself fall over, and it was like I was having an out body experience as I felt myself get lighter and lighter.

Until I was practically floating away…

.

.

.

It was the sharp cold biting my skin and the dull ache at the back of my head that woke me up.

Well, that and the dead, rotting body right next to me that had a smell horrible enough to scorch my nose hairs. I was still disoriented from whatever had caused me to blackout earlier, but the surprise of the body had me scrambling onto my hands and knees to scoot back well enough.

I wanted to get as far as possible, my heart about to drill out through my chest at the sight before me.

"This is so gross…" I moaned, shaking my head as if to clear it. Then I looked around me to get my bearings. I was in some room with wooden walls, an old, glass paned window that faced out at some woods, and the only decorations were a dusty old rug that had lost its color and the dead body.

I shivered, suddenly wishing I was wearing more than a white long sleeved shirt with a dark gray over-vest and blue jeans. Never mind I was also only wearing socks and gray house-slippers.

But it hadn't been cold in my dorm room, so…

Too bad I was no longer in said room.

"This has to be a dream," I said to myself softly, as it didn't take a genius to figure out where I was. It looked like one of those old, run down homes found in the game. Still not quite believing my predicament, I got shakily to my feet and went over to the window. I had to gingerly step over the dead guy, and then edged to the glass window, peering out carefully so as to not alert attention to myself if there were any Ganados around.

The last thing I would need was those crazies coming after me.

The scene before me had me whimpering before I could stop myself.

I was in the town square of Pueblo; it was the exact replica of the infamous beginning town from the _Resident Evil 4 _game. From my vantage point, I could even see the large flames of the pit with the dead man roasting.

Though, it looked much more horrific in real life than from a TV screen. Cold, heavy dread pooled in the pit of my stomach, and I felt my knees tremble.

_Shit. How am I going to get out of this alive? _I thought frantically, biting my lower lip. It was a terrible habit I had, doing it whenever I was nervous or lying.

I knew myself pretty well, and even though I could speak up for myself in certain situations, I knew when the going got tough, I got going. I was a terrible fighter, sucked at self defense, my endurance for physical exertion was shot to shit and guns made me extremely nervous… The only upside was that I remembered, albeit a bit vaguely, that all I had to do was get to the extraction point to be rescued…

"Damn!" I hissed as realization hit me. Even if I _did _manage to get to the extraction point all in one piece, it wouldn't do me any good. The US wouldn't send a chopper until Leon contacted them and let them know he had Ashley.

I was so screwed.

And _not _in the good way.

Unless…

I was brought out of my musings when suddenly I heard a man screaming in I think what was Spanish, and then gunshots. I looked back out the window to see a tall, familiar figure of a man making his way to the center of the village, holding his handgun up at the villagers as they began to crowd him with their torches and pitchforks.

"Stay back!" I heard him yell at them, his voice sounding almost exactly like in the game except it was an octave lower. I bit my lower lip.

"What are you _doing _just standing there, Leon?" I mumbled quietly to myself. "Get the heck out of there!"

It didn't escape me that I had bought the game just to play, and now I was an actual player in it.

Talk about cruel irony.

And I also knew that if I wanted to get out of this place alive- or at least until I could find a way back to my world –I would need to stay with Leon. On my own, I had a snowball's chance in hell of staying alive. And to stay with Leon, he needed to be _alive, _too, in order to protect me.

Uh, I mean find Ashley and get her home. Heh.

With a heavy put-upon sigh, I turned around and raced out of the room, wondering if I could find something- anything –that could help Leon out. I hurried down the slim hallway, the banister turning to lead down rickety stairs opposite another window. But just as I passed by a small table, I saw on the wall the shot-gun hanging up on hooks in an open showcase.

_Hell yeah._

With an internal sigh of relief, I ran over and grabbed the shotgun. With a grunt as I tugged at the large weapon, the shotgun was loosened from the hooks on the wall with a soft _click._

"This shit is heavier than it looks in the game…" I said with a frown, staring at the gun in my hands.

If you didn't notice by now, I have a serious tendency to talk to myself.

Don't judge me.

With the shotgun in hand, I looked around frantically. My eyes lit up when I saw what I was looking for; a small green box lying on the floor at the table's legs. I knew it was seriously strange for ammo to conveniently be lying around the most common of places, but for once I wasn't going to complain.

I heard more screams in Spanish and gunshots. That urged me to hurry over to the shotgun shells and I pulled open the small box. Inside were four golden-encased bullets. I knelt on my knees as I jiggled the shotgun to open the little case holder, or whatever you call the part where you insert bullets.

What? Who said I was weapon knowledgeable? I told you guns made me nervous.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" I chanted to myself as my fingers fumbled with the bullets, stuffing them into the gun. When they were all snuggled inside, I pulled the barrel up and the shotgun snatched back together with a heavy clack. Not trusting myself to do anything else with the intimidating weapon, I pulled it close to me and started down the stairs.

With each step, getting closer to the ground floor, I could feel the trepidation rising within me. I've played the game many times before, but this was different.

This was real. I pinched myself to make sure, and then hissed at the pain. Just great. I was sure by the time this was over, I was going to be covered in bruises and maybe missing a limb or two.

If I was lucky, of course.

As soon as my slippers landed on the floor of the ground level, I took a deep breath to steel my nerves.

"I am a soldier," I tried to tell myself, biting my lower lip. "I am a harbinger of destruction."

My racing heart began to slow a little, though my skin was still covered in goosebumps. I pushed a strand of my long hair behind my ear, grumbling about how I should have gotten it cut, or at least wishing I would had something to keep it out of my face.

Then I was rudely brought of my reverie when I heard a heavy metal grinding. I jumped almost a foot into the air, my fingers squeezing tightly against the barrel of the shotgun.

And maybe, just maybe, a high pitched girly squeal escaped my throat.

Maybe.

Heart jumping into my throat, I tried to tip-toe to the closest wall and peer over the corner at the door that I knew led from outside. It buckled as it began to open, and I heard more of the Ganados yelling.

I swallowed hard, and felt my muscles tensing of their own accord.

And then I saw a tall, muscular back emerge from the other side of the door first. Then broad shoulders leading down the back to a firm butt and, long, long legs in dark cargo pants. That signature sandy-blonde hair with the long side bangs framing over the model-worthy face, and the stretched out arms holding the handgun, sure to be muscular, covered in his heavy coat.

It was Leon.

The relief was so overwhelming I almost collapsed onto the floor.

"This is one crazy ass town," I heard him mutter as he slammed the door shut with his shoulder. Then he looked about, and dragged the table at the other wall across the floor to bar the door and act as a barrier.

And that was when I heard the chainsaw come to life.

"Oh, shit." Leon and I said aloud simultaneously.

Jerking his head around, I saw his dark blue-gray eyes settle on me, and his mouth opened in a small "o" as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Who are you? What are you even doing here?" He asked me, incredulous. Thinking quickly, I decided I was going to be vague as possible to prevent too much confusion and definitely _not_ let him know I wasn't even from this freaky world.

If I wanted to stay with him, I couldn't have him thinking I was insane or something.

So I gave him my penname instead of my real name.

"I'm Kumiko, but call me Kumi. Uh, I think we have other important things to worry about than bearing our souls, ya know?" I piped up. Leon's face looked disbelieving as his eyes scanned me up and down taking in my appearance.

For some odd reason, I felt my cheeks flushing even though it wasn't like I was naked. Or wearing my duck pajamas.

"You're American. In the middle of this forsaken place. Pretty damn strange…" Leon continued, while simultaneously loading his handgun. He glanced back up at me, and I knew he wasn't going to let any of this go.

I would need to make up a convincing lie soon.

I bit my lip and turned my eyes away guiltily.

_I just need to stay with him until I find a way out of this mess. That's it. Who cares if he doesn't trust me? It's not like we're going to be friends and sing songs together… _I thought with a snort.

Further awkward conversation was averted when the Ganados began banging on the door from outside. I jumped, and then remembered the shotgun in my hands. I hurried up to Leon, and then grumbled internally at how tall Leon was compared to me. The very top of my head barely reached just under his collar bone.

I had certain sensitivity when it came to my height, and hated to be reminded at my lack of it.

Leon looked at me questioningly. I held up the shotgun to him.

"I found this upstairs, and I figure you could put it to use far better than me." I told him. He gripped the barrel in his fingerless glove covered hand, his long fingers flexing tightly against the weapon.

His narrowed eyes peered into mine, as if trying to seek something out.

"Who are you, really?" he asked me again, his voice sounding more agitated than grateful.

I gave him a sheepish grin and a shrug of my shoulders.

"Who cares? How about we get out of here alive and then worry about questions later?" I told him, and then let go of the gun. The door rattled again, making me wince.

"Do you have any weapon to protect yourself with?" Leon then asked, re-holstering his handgun to equip the shotgun. I shook my head, privately grateful that he was done with the questions and getting back to business.

"No,"

Leon frowned at me, and then I saw his fingers deftly unlatch the small shoulder strap of his knife, which he then held out to me. I stared at him.

"Take it," he commanded. With slightly shaky fingers, I reached out and took the strap and slid it over my own shoulder and reattached it around my shoulder and across my rib cage. It hung a little loose due to my petite frame, and the sheathed blade rested against the slight swell of my chest.

"Thanks," I told him, praying that a creature or monster would never get close enough to me to have to resort to using the knife.

"Let's go," he said, moving around me and back up the stairs at a quick trot. Not wanting to be left behind, I hurried up after him, stumbling a bit because of my slippers.

We got to the top floor, and at the end of the hall, the glass pane window exploded into little shards as the top of a ladder was slammed into it. At the same time as the window exploded, we heard the door downstairs grinding loudly as it was pushed open.

I spared a look at Leon to see he was looking very determined. Not wanting to give him any excuse to regret having me along, I decided to make myself useful. I sprinted over to the window just as Leon turned towards the staircase and began blasting the Ganados who were starting to ascend the stairs.

I pressed my lips tightly together in an effort not to make any noise at the blasts of the shotguns. I reached out and gripped the handles of the ladder, having to set my feet firmly into the floor to get leverage to push it away.

Only, there was already a heavy grown man almost to the top, so it was a struggle. I caught a quick glimpse of the chainsaw wielding maniac on the ground outside, and was thankful he was not inside. Yet.

All it took was one second to be distracted by Mr. Chainsaw, and the next second I found my forearm being gripped in the iron grasp of the Ganados man on the ladder. He screeched at me, his pale, haggard face twisted in rage and his eyes milky white.

With another grunt, I tried to pull my arm away. I felt his large fingers digging into my arm brutally, sending sharp agony to my brain. It took a lot not to cry out. Luckily, his fingers fumbled when he tried to hoist himself up, so I was able to get my arm away and fully shove him and the ladder back.

With a gurgling scream, he fell back onto the ground, accompanied by a sickening snap as his head turned an impossible angle on impact.

He didn't move again.

The others of the growing mob wasted no time in trying to raise the ladder back up. I was dismayed to hear the chainsaw close by, but couldn't see the wielder.

Not good at all. I turned to face Leon, to see him strapping the shotgun across his back with his belt, and pulling out his handgun.

He was out of shotgun shells. This was a major problem, seeing as Mr. Chainsaw was definitely on his way.

"Leon, I think we need to be out of here. Like, _yesterday." _I said, my voice slightly pitched higher with panic. Leon turned for a moment and gave me a measured, suspicious look.

With cold dread seizing me, I realized my mistake.

Leon hadn't told me his name yet.

_Shit._

"We have to go through the window!" I shouted, as I heard the chainsaw whirring downstairs. Leon shot a woman point blank in her forehead, causing her to fall back down the stairs, knocking down three other Ganados.

His footsteps were heavy and loud as he hustled over to me. He looked out the window, his free hand coming up to close over my upper arm as he judged the distance.

I ignored the warmth seeping in through my sleeve at the contact, focusing on trying not to chicken out.

"You ready?" I heard him ask, though my eyes were focused below us so I wasn't sure of he was looking at me or not. I nodded, my heart thundering in my chest. We weren't too high up, but I had never been fond of any amount of height.

Or jumping from them.

"One, two… three!" Leon called, and we hoisted ourselves off the window seal onto the ground below.

I felt the wind get knocked out of me as I collapsed onto my side and rolled to prevent any damage. Leon was already getting to his feet and shooting the approaching mob as I struggled to find much needed oxygen and stumble unsteadily to my feet.

_Damn, I'm more out of shape than I thought, _ I thought to myself, dismayed. I was even more dismayed to see that Leon and I were surrounded totally on all sides by the growing mob.

Almost as if we had rehearsed it, Leon and I stepped back until our backs were pressed up tightly against one another's. I pulled out the knife, my hand trembling only slightly.

Leon began taking shots at the Ganados, and I managed to slice a few cuts into the reaching hands of my own enemies. One man wielding a torch swung at me, and I made sure to push back as hard as possible to push Leon out of the line of fire along with me. Then I swirled away from Leon as a woman threw some kind of plow blade at my face.

I lost my balance trying to get away, and fell onto the ground sending up a small cloud of dirt and soot. From the jolt of the impact, my hand loosened and the knife skittered away from me. The rising soot had swept into my eyes and nose, and I was hacking and coughing to clear my lungs when I felt strong hands seize the back of my collar and pull me upwards.

The sharp movements caused the front of my shirt to dig into the hollow of my throat, and the sudden pain made me see stars literally.

It also cut off my oxygen supply totally, so I found my hands going up to try and claw at the hands that held me captive.

"L-let _go,_" I choked out, thrashing about as the hand continued to lift until I was roughly set onto my feet. Before I could get enough leverage to run or kick, the Ganados' other arm circled around my midriff pulling me tightly up against his front, smashing my back against his chest.

He snarled something to me in his native tongue, his harsh breath foul and hot against my skin. My eyes watering at the pain, I could just see Leon a good fifty or so feet away, having been shuffled off by the crowd. His back was turned to me, still shooting, so he was currently unaware of my most unfortunate predicament.

_This is pathetic. Not even twenty minutes here and already I'm about to die. This is almost embarrassing, _was the only thought that ran through my mind at that moment. The Ganados man then proceeded to _lick _my cheek, all the way from my jaw line up to my temple, giving a grave chuckle after he was finished.

I shivered with revulsion and tried to thrash about. But his grip was too strong, and I could barely move an inch. I began to wonder why he didn't just kill me instead. I mean, wasn't that all of their prerogatives?

My captor began to move away from the large crowd, effectively dragging me away. His other hand still had my collar pressed impossibly tight against my throat, so I couldn't find enough air to call out or alert Leon what was happening.

Something truly marvelous and wonderful happened then, just when I thought I was finished and the man was going to get away, taking me with him.

The bell began to ring.

_Thank you, Ada. _I thought reverently.

The arms around me loosened immediately, and I fell onto my hands and knees taking deep gulps of air through my mouth. I coughed and sputtered a few times, rubbing my neck vigorously to ease the stinging pain as the Ganados all began turning to face the church. Weapons dropped from their hands one by one as they sauntered away from us.

I got to my feet, glancing down at myself and wincing. My clothes were covered in dirt and grime, and I was missing a slipper. Already I could feel the cold seeping through my sock up my leg. My teeth were chattering slightly, and when I breathed out there was a slight fog from my breath. Trying in vain to make myself feel a little cleaner, I wiped at my legs and chest, sending a bit of dirt flying.

I was a little flustered to see that Leon didn't look worse for the wear as he came over to me now that the mob had finally disappeared into the church. Once he stood before me, I looked up at him.

"You okay?" he inquired. I saw his eyes narrow on my neck, and wondered if there was bruising by the way he stared.

"I've been better," I groused, with a shrug. I was slightly unnerved at his intense scrutiny; it made me feel like I had done something wrong and was now being caught.

Maybe I was just paranoid.

I cleared my throat, and quickly changed the subject. "Looks like the natives had a prior engagement too go to, huh?"

"Extremely lucky for us," Leon acknowledged, looking in the direction of the church. I took a moment to look him over, and gasped when I saw he had a small gash in his forearm and a rivulet of blood was dripping down.

"You're hurt!" I exclaimed, reaching out to grab his arm unthinkingly. Leon didn't seem to mind, and looked down at his injury, almost surprised as if he hadn't noticed it. So macho.

"We should look around to see if we can find anything to help with that," I told him matter-of-fact. It then occurred to me I still was holding onto his arm. Blushing, I let go quickly and turned to head into a small open barn house in search of any loot.

The loud footsteps informed me Leon was close behind me. My eyes scanned around the inside, at the hay strewn all over the floor and the cow in the corner, happily munching on its food oblivious to its surroundings. I snorted and left through the back exit and saw a large metal wagon, with four large crates on it. I absently reached up on the strap for the knife, and then looked down when I realized I didn't have it.

Crap; I forgot about dropping it earlier in the crowd.

And then Leon was sauntering up next me with the grace of a freaking panther, holding out said knife to me. I looked up at him, feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

"Looking for this?" he told me. I took the knife without a word and went over to the crates. It was after slashing the first one and finding a small bag of gold coins that Leon spoke up again, from behind me.

"So, it seems to me that we are in the clear. I think the time is perfect for those questions, now."

I froze in mid-slash of the second crate, my back stiffening up.

Shit.

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**So...? What do you think? Like it? Hate it? Put it to rest? I dunno; I just was bored and when I wa playing the game with my roommate watching, I was continuously making wisecracks at the screen. My roommate laughed and told me it would be funny if I were ever trully in that situation, and it got me to thinking about what would happen if I _was _in the game.**

**So I decided to do a self-insert. Obviously, a few things will happen differently since I'm there and I want this story to be believable as possible. Which stands to reason that I'm not some Mary-Sue who suddenly knows how to fight and kick ass, or that I'm mega gorgeous and everyones falling over their feet trying to get at me. (Though I'm sure it will be apparent I have a huge crush on Leon, even if he may not feel the same way! LOL)**

**All well; makes for good drama, huh?**

**Thanks for sticking around this long, even though I don't expect feedback. This story is purely just for fun, so updates will be sporadic. Of course, reviews help move things along faster, but I seriously don't care either way. My muse will bug the shit out of me to update eventually, so its a win-win in the end.**

**Enough ranting. I'm off to play some more _Resident Evil 4..._**


	2. Rush

**Resident Evil 4: Sucked In**

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**Full Synopsis**: After beating the game Resident Evil 4, I wanted to play it over for the heck of it. Only, I didn't know that I would trigger some sort of voodoo reaction and end up _in the game. _Now, knowing what to expect, I decide to help Leon find and save Ashley, all the while trying to stay alive myself in time to find my way out. Easier said than done, let me tell you…

**Genre**: **Drama/Adventure** with a healthy dose of **Humor** thrown in for good measure…

**Rating**: M (for course language, graphic violence, sexual content and ugly ass monsters)

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**-Chapter Two-**

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"Well… there's nothing really special to know." I said, trying to play nonchalant as I went back to slicing crates.

Needed to keep myself busy and avoid eye contact.

"I was here… with some friends on a trip, ya know?" I said, the lies starting to spill from my mouth. "We wanted to get away from the states, and decided Spain was the place to go. Only… we ended up being attacked by some crazy people and were split up. I… I don't know if they're still alive, but I managed to get here and hide out."

There was a bit of silence, before Leon came next to me and reached out to grab the bag of the coins and put them in his pocket for later use.

"How long have you been here, then?"

I glanced at his face, but his unreadable expression didn't clue me in to whether he believed my lame story or not.

"A day," I said.

"What are the names of your friends?"

I quickly thought up generic names that I was likely to remember if he ever asked me again.

"Mary and Bob."

The silence that followed definitely let me know Leon knew my story was complete shit, but I was thankful he let the questioning stop after that. He even remained silent on how I knew his name, though he did briefly fill me in on why he was here, his mission to find the President's daughter.

We mutually decided to stay together, though there was no outward declaration of that decision. I simply tagged along with him, and he didn't protest at my company. I guess out here with all of the SWFS going on, having another sane person to talk to goes a long way.

Scrounging around a bit further in the town I found an old worn, but sturdy, leather knapsack. I pulled the long strap over my shoulder diagonally, so the sack would rest against my waist. For the next half hour as we scoured the entire village, we ended up finding two first aid spray cans, (and used one on his gash), three medicinal herbs, two grenades and ammo for both the shotgun and handgun.

In one of the rundown houses, Leon also managed to score some much loved leather work boots for me, which were a size too big, but would have to do. I couldn't very well walk around in only my socks.

We were walking up the long passage way to a pair of large double doors to head out of the village, when I shivered again, more violently this time. Time was passing in real life now, instead of in the game, and the sun was already at the halfway point, showing it was possibly late afternoon or early evening. If it was this chilly now, I dreaded the night that was on its way.

I jumped, startled, when I felt something warm and heavy suddenly land on my shoulders. I looked at my shoulders to see that Leon had draped his heavy woolen coat about me. I was touched at his thoughtfulness, before realizing that he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt.

I frowned.

"Thanks, but I think you need it more than me. After all; my sleeves are long." I pointed out; slipping the warm garment off and holding it back out to him. Even as I did so, I found myself immediately regretting it as I shivered again.

For the first time since our initial run-in with each other, I saw Leon's lips twitch almost into a half grin as he saw my shiver. I stuck my tongue at him obstinately.

"You have a decent backbone, kid." He told me, making no move to take his coat back.

I scoffed.

"I am _not _a kid," I whined, trying to prove a point.

Leon raised an eyebrow.

"How old are you?" He questioned. I thought quickly, giving myself just a few more years.

"Twenty-three," I told him.

"Bullshit," he snorted. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm ancient, okay? Don't let my appearance fool you; I've always looked younger than I really am."

"Uh-huh," Leon said, his voice making it clear he didn't believe me. "Well, anyway, it's only going to get colder. I can handle it, and I really don't need you getting sick on me. Anything that slows us down should try to be prevented at all costs," Leon said, his voice becoming firm and professional once again.

My shoulders slumped slightly, and I internally scolded myself for being so naïve. Of course Leon didn't care about me _personally. _He was looking out for me so I wouldn't hinder his mission.

At least he said "us" as opposed to "me". That made me feel slightly better about the whole situation.

_You don't care, _I reminded myself, grudgingly putting on the coat. I had to admit it felt wonderful, even if it was slightly large, the bottom of the coat falling below my waistline and the sleeves falling to the tips of my fingers. _You just need to stay with Leon to until you get out of this mess. When you're free, you're parting ways and not looking back._

"Well… thanks anyway," I mumbled, keeping my eyes lowered on the ground and walking ahead of Leon to the double doors.

"Don't mention it," Leon responded.

.

.

.

Past the double doors, following a well traveled path in the forest, we rounded a large mound, and continued on. A nagging in the back of my head was being persistent, trying to remind me of something that I apparently forgot.

"Hey," Leon said, tapping my shoulder and pulling up short. I stopped, turned and looked back at him.

"What?" I asked, my voice low even though we were alone. Leon held up his hand for silence, his hand lifting automatically to the holster at his side. He cocked his head slightly, his face contorted in concentration.

My heart began to pound, and I licked my lips.

"Do you hear that?" He piped up, finally looking my way. I furrowed my brow and tried to listen. Other than the spontaneous bird call, I could hear a slight rumble far off in the distance. I could also feel the ground quake slightly.

And then it dawned on me, and my face must have paled because Leon's eyes zeroed in on it.

"What's wrong?" he asked me sharply.

"We need to run, now!" I hissed, turning and taking off.

"Kumi, wait!" I heard him call, but I ignored it. In seconds, the boulder had made its unwanted appearance, and I heard Leon swear loudly behind me.

"Hurry up!" I yelled, chancing a quick look back to see him catching up to me. Further behind him, I could see the large boulder making its way towards us at a frightening speed. Leon was now level with me, and close to passing me by. As he did, his hand reached out and clamped over my upper arm- the exact same spot the Ganados man had grabbed.

I swallowed a hiss as Leon jumped sharply to the side, yanking me with him. The large boulder passed by so close I literally felt it brush past the tip of my boots as I fell…

… right on top of Leon.

"Oof!" I groaned, my forehead banging against his, and his knee accidentally smashing into my gut. My breath escaped me and I wheezed as I rolled off of him. The boulder continued on for a moment before crashing and bursting into smaller pieces, just like in the game only much louder.

I lay on my side, despondent, as I continued to try and pull air into my lungs. My vision swirled as the adrenalin in my system began to recede, and for a moment I feared I was going to be sick. And then I heard footsteps coming up short right behind me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will myself out of here.

_Just what have I done? _I questioned.

"Hey..." I heard Leon mutter, and then he was kneeling behind me, probably to check if I had any injuries.

Didn't need me slowing him down, after all.

Quickly, I sat up (with a bit of effort), and then jumped to my feet. Only, I misjudged my balance and ended up swaying heavily. Leon had to reach out and steady me.

"Sorry," I blushed. "Just getting my bearings right,"

Leon looked over me with a critical eye, his hands still braced on my arms. I pointedly shrugged my shoulders, and he got the hint to let go. The last thing I needed was to give him any more reasons to doubt my coming with him.

With a deep breath, I settled my chaotic thoughts and looked back at Leon. I plastered on a false smile.

"Well… what a rush. Shouldn't we keep moving, though?"

If Leon's eyes were any more suspicious looking… I turned again, and this time side by side we continued on.

Unlike the game, it wasn't a matter of minutes until we reached the next pair of double doors. It took almost an hour. And when we did reach the doors, the sun was just over the horizon, preparing to set for the oncoming (and freezing) night.

I kept glancing over at Leon's bare arms, feeling guiltier as time passed. We finally made it to the double doors, but as I made to push them open, Leon shook his head in the negative.

"Wait," he said. I frowned.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It is getting really dark; night will be here before we know it. We have no clue as to what's on the other side of these doors, not to mention you're tired and need rest."

I scoffed at him, begrudgingly conceding he was correct. But that didn't mean I had to like it.

"I can keep up, though." I told him.

Leon regarded me carefully for a long minute.

"Maybe," he said non-committed. "We should camp out here for now, wait until morning to continue."

I had the urge to argue with him, to keep going, but obviously he knew what he was talking about. Now that the novelty of waking up in this world, experiencing danger and meeting him had passed, my body ached all over and I was seconds away from swaying on my feet.

Maybe a little rest wouldn't be so bad after all.

With a small huff, I plopped down right where I stood, wincing at the loud crunching and rustling of the dead leaves succumbing to my weight. I grumbled to myself for a bit, before I heard Leon give a small snort. Looking up, I was in time to see him turning away, but not before catching sight of the small smile tugging at his lips.

I glared at his back, which was turned to me.

He was trying not to laugh at me. How rude.

And to think, I had actually entertained the notion that he was extremely good-looking. Gorgeous or not, my tastes didn't have a thing for jerks, so Leon was pretty safe from me.

Well. For now, anyway.

"I'll take watch," Leon said, coming over and sitting down a few feet away from me. Somehow, despite sitting down in the same pile of dead leaves as I was, he hardly made sound.

Life was so unfair.

"Well, wake me up in a few hours and I'll take watch then." I informed him. It wasn't dark enough for me not to notice his incredulous look.

I gave an irritated huff.

"Look; I'm not completely useless, ya know?" I bitched. "Yea, I may not be a freaking super agent like you, but that doesn't mean you get to look at me like I'm crazy every time I offer to help you. If you haven't noticed; we're both in this. So we should share the responsibilities, right?"

After my rant, I narrowed my eyes when I saw Leon's shoulders shaking up and down. For a long moment, I was confused. Then I realized he actually was laughing at me this time. He was just trying to be quiet about it.

Well, he failed.

Before I could reign myself in, I reached out and slapped his arm. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Stop laughing at me, mister!" I threatened.

He just gave me a cool stare, and I recoiled.

"Uh, just kidding!" I squeaked, holding my hands up in a surrendering fashion. I imagined him taking out his gun and putting me out of my misery. After all, we were in the middle of nowhere, and no one would ever know.

Leon ignored my ramblings completely.

"Fine; in six hours, you can have watch," he told me.

I nodded, feeling better that he was including me. Hey, if we were going to be traveling together, I could do look-outs. I mean, I expected him to fight all the big, ugly ass monsters, so it was the least I could do.

I settled down on my side in the grass with a soft sigh. It was freezing, the ground was hard, and my stomach was just beginning to stir with hunger.

Despite this, within minutes of closing my eyes, I was pulled under. The last thing I remember seeing before dreams consumed me was Leon turning to face out to the forest, his back filling my vision.

* * *

**Yes... so. Another chapter, eh? Thank you for the reviews; I was happy to see them when I wasn't expecting any. This chapter wasn't as fun as the last to write, but the next one will be. I hope you enjoy as you continue to read!**


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